San Francisco Automotive Solutions

I accidentally found these guys when a AAA tow trucker offered to take my broken down car there after hours. They have been my mechanic ever since. Pat has repeatedly gone out of my way to show me how my car broke down and has been sincere in making sure things get fixed as they need. He knows that I'm not rolling in money, so if someone can be held off for a while to save me some money, he will let me know and give me the consequences if it's not a good idea. And, since I have a tendency to drive clunkers, he has given me advice on when it's time to retire the car and for about a $100 or so will help me determine if a new car is a good buy. This service has saved me quite a bit of stress in making these decisions. Compared to prices listed in my RepairPal app on my phone, these guys are usually right on. And they are pretty fast. PS - I happened to see a list of the owner names of cars that were in for service once, and he had a couple in for the Secret Service. How can you not trust a mechanic that works with the guys that protect our President? PPS - I wish I understood why there are reviews where the girls are crying. I understand very well what it's like to not trust a mechanic. My father knows cars inside and out and I have been duped before by mechanics. Pat and his team have never, ever given me any indication that they are not trustworthy. In fact, they are the first mechanic I can say that I trust.

My car broke down somewhere in Potrero Hill and this was the place AAA recommended. Definitely a great experience overall-- the car needed a lot of work, but Pat kept me updated consistently and all the repairs were done pretty fast. When I went to pick it up, the staff was helpful and I'd absolutely recommend it to anyone. I honestly hope I DON'T have to come back here again (hang in there, car), but if anything happens again I'd definitely got to All American.

This review is based on the goodcustomer service I received at All Star. (I did not give 5 stars simply b/c I had no actual work done.) My 2007 BMW blew its differential and a huge hole in the casing. I believed my warranty was expired and had the car towed to All American. Pat responded within a couple of hours with a price breakdown of about $1650 for the part and $600ish for labor, plus a two year warranty on the part. Quick turnaround of 2 days (part had to be delivered from BMW parts warehouse in Stockton). He gave a me a clear explanation of the damage and my options. When we discovered my warranty still had three months remaining, and covered my differential (obvi) we towed the car to BMW. Will helped me at the shop, and was gracious, not charging me the $130 service fee and giving me more information about the mechanics of the damage. If I were without a warranty I would very likely go back to them for repairs. Did everything right service wise and have a well-managed shop. Thanks guys!

Our car broke down in the city. Awful feeling when this happens. The AAA guy brought our car to this recommended AAA shop. The shop was clean and honest. The guy in the front spoke to me like i was a person and not some dumb chick. The only thing that would have been better is if they took a check only visa or cash. I hope if my car ever breaks down again it's in front of this shop. thanks so much you guys rock oh yeah they even washed my car amazing. Susan Fiedler

My car was towed to this shop at night on the recommendation of the AAA emergency road service driver and I was not disappointed. Rick is friendly and super helpful. He was patient in helping me to understand what might be wrong with my car. The shop is clean and the bathroom is like that of a hotel! It's a AAA approved shop so I trust that. The $130 diagnosis fee (to be applied to any repairs) is something I'm not used to paying. My mechanic in Santa Clara diagnoses for free then makes recommendations so I used my free towing to have it towed my regular mechanic. Maybe it's SF rent prices but I'm used to the neighborhoods with lots of auto shops that keep one another competitive in their pricing. I liked Rick and the customer service at All American and he asked me to call him with an update on my car. I like the sincerity!

My car was towed to this shop at night on the recommendation of the AAA emergency road service driver and I was not disappointed. Rick is friendly and super helpful. He was patient in helping me to understand what might be wrong with my car. The shop is clean and the bathroom is like that of a hotel! It's a AAA approved shop so I trust that. The $130 diagnosis fee (to be applied to any repairs) is something I'm not used to paying. My mechanic in Santa Clara diagnoses for free then makes recommendations so I used my free towing to have it towed my regular mechanic. Maybe it's SF rent prices but I'm used to the neighborhoods with lots of auto shops that keep one another competitive in their pricing. I liked Rick and the customer service at All American and he asked me to call him with an update on my car. I like the sincerity!

I have been going to Pat at San Francisco Automotive Solutions for 5 plus years and have always been treated well when I bring my car or my wife's car in for repair and smog. I work close and am able to walk there. I've had multiple tune ups, timing belt changed on the Tacoma 4x4, oil changes and smog done to my Tacoma 4x4 and BMW 325.FYI-Car repairs can be costly wherever you take you car. Stop crying and take care of your car! Cry babies stay away.

This review is for their customer service and not their actual work. I actually didn't have any work done. Short story: Charged me $0 and said go to the dealer for a warranty item.I got towed by AAA and the tow guy recommend All American since they had a secure lot. My car was making a horrible metal on metal screeching noise when coming off the offramp after a long road trip. Figured I'd just got an expensive recommendation, and they might even get a kickback. But I was kind of stuck on a Sunday night, and my garage just told me last time I got an oil change that they don't lock cars out front after service due to a recent string of break ins. I looked online and was worried by the 1 star or 5 star only reviews. I call in the AM and the guy seems nice enough. Double checked to see if I got the guy people complained about. It was Pat. Seemed straightforward and in a little bit of a hurry, but no big deal. Says I'll get a call back with any estimates, $130 to do search and that will be applied to any fixes. 2 hours later, he calls and says the screeching noise I heard was never heard, and they test drove it a ton. He guesses it would be a break pad failing. Maybe I was breaking a lot lately and the pads got heated up with some spider cracks, etc (long technical story). I did just drive home from Tahoe in traffic.) He said this kind of failure was not normal wear and would be under warranty. He said he could spend an hour at $130 to make sure, but that it would probably be inconclusive or the warranty issue he mentioned. Charged me $0 and said go to the dealer.When a garage doesn't charge you for driving your car 6 miles and spending some time on it, I'm impressed. They looked busy, but not packed. They could have easily said that I just needed new breaks and done the work.One of the mechanics even spent about 3-4 minutes explaining what could be wrong and what to point out to the dealership so that they wouldn't miss it.

Great place! and People! I took my car into this garage through a AAA review and I was very pleased with their service. My car had a faulty alternator and was dying randomly on the streets of San Francisco when I held the break on for more than 5 minutes, which obviously was a big problem. Being a young girl Pat really helped explain the issue with my car in terms I could understand and I felt very at ease there. He had very fair pricing for the work and the labor and I will definitely be going back again!

I'm always suspicious of reviews for places that get only 5-star or 1-star reviews. You gotta figure that there are a few people out there with an ax to grind skewing the ratings for what is otherwise a perfectly acceptable establishment. You see it with pet-related stuff ("They love animals!" vs "They tried to kill my cat - I have proof!") and apparently, also, with car-related services.Hubby & I have been using Pat & his team at AAA since, oh, 2003 or 2004 for 4 different cars, US & foreign. Routine stuff (replace wiper that broke off), weird stuff ("what is that noise?") and referrals to other services (body work). We've always been totally satisfied with the work, never had to go back to have something re-done, never been sold something we didn't need. The prices aren't bargain-basement, but they are more than fair for quality work. Pat's a super-nice & funny guy, and I love the garage itself - if I were a mechanic I'd like to work in a place like it. And there's a Starbucks nearby if you have to wait for something! Don't hesitate to use these guys, they're great. We spend a lot of time down in the Palm Springs area & I only wish they had a satellite office there!